Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966 in Gary, IN) is an American sing… Read Full Bio ↴Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966 in Gary, IN) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreography became a catalyst in the growth of MTV, enabling her to rise to prominence while breaking gender and racial barriers in the process. Lyrical content which focused on social issues set her reputation as a role model for youth.

The tenth and youngest child of the Jackson family, she began her career with the variety television series The Jacksons in 1976 and went on to appear in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame. After signing a recording contract with A&M Records in 1982, she became a pop icon following the release of her third and fourth studio albums Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap, and industrial beats, which led to crossover success in popular music.

In 1991, Jackson signed the first of two record-breaking multimillion-dollar contracts with Virgin Records, establishing her as one of the highest-paid artists in the industry. Prior to her first studio project with Virgin, she appeared in her first of several lead film roles in Poetic Justice (1993). Her two studio albums which followed, Janet (1993) and The Velvet Rope (1997), saw her develop a public image as a sex symbol. These records, along with their promotional music videos and live performances in concert tours, branded Jackson as one of the world's most erotic performers, garnering both criticism and praise. By the end of the 1990s, she was named by Billboard magazine as the second most successful recording artist of the decade after Mariah Carey. The release of her seventh studio album All for You in 2001 coincided with a celebration of her impact on the recording industry as the subject of the inaugural MTV Icon special.

The backlash from the 2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy resulted in an industry blacklisting under the direction of Les Moonves, then-CEO of CBS Corporation. Jackson subsequently experienced reduced radio airplay, televised promotion and sales figures from that point forward. After parting ways with Virgin Records, she released her tenth studio album Discipline (2008), her first and only album with Island Records. In 2015, she partnered with BMG Rights Management to launch her own record label, Rhythm Nation and released her eleventh studio album Unbreakable the same year. Since then she has continued to release music as an independent artist.

Having sold over 100 million records, Jackson is one of the world's best-selling music artists. She has amassed an extensive catalog, with singles such as "Nasty", "Rhythm Nation", "That's the Way Love Goes", "Together Again", and "All for You"; she holds the record for the most consecutive top-ten entries on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with 18. She is also the only artist in the history of the chart to have seven commercial singles from one album (Rhythm Nation 1814) peak within the top five positions. In 2008, Billboard placed her number seven on its list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, and in 2010 ranked her fifth among the "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years". In December 2016, the magazine named her the second most successful dance club artist after Madonna. One of the world's most awarded artists, her accolades include five Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards, eleven American Music Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and eight Guinness World Records entries. In 2019, she was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jackson has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers and credited with elevating a standard of sound, showmanship and sex appeal expected of pop stars.

God's Stepchild
Janet Jackson Lyrics

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Gotta story for you
'Bout a little friend
Never felt good enough
Had a heart to mend

Never felt pretty
Learned to just pretend
Wished someone had listened

To her cries of pain

Maybe I'm the lucky one
Maybe the forgotten one
Maybe, but I know
I'm not God's stepchild

Didn't want to burden
Mother had enough stress
So often I'd talk to you
Through my four legged friends

Always there to listen
Though I felt so all alone
And in my times of trouble
I know

You saw my smile of pain
Maybe I'm the lucky one
Maybe the forgotten one
Maybe, but I know

I'm not God's stepchild
Maybe I'm the lucky one
Maybe the forgotten one
Maybe, but I know I'm not God's stepchild

Now that I am older
Gone through so much pain
I learned that I should love me
No more feeling ashamed

I've seen the great illusions
I've seen the rough terrain
I've walked through my own journey
And my love for you remains

Maybe I'm the lucky one
Maybe the forgotten one
Maybe, but I know
I'm not God's stepchild

Maybe I'm the lucky one
Maybe the forgotten one
Maybe, but I know
I'm not God's stepchild

I know I'm the lucky one
I know I'm a special one

I know, that God does
Not have a stepchild

Overall Meaning

The song God's Stepchild by Janet Jackson tells a story of a little friend who never felt good enough and didn't feel pretty. She had a heart to mend but felt so alone that she learned to pretend. The lyrics imply that the girl cried for help but no one listened. The singer then talks about how she talked to her four-legged friends because she didn't want to burden her mother who had enough stress. Even though she felt alone, she always had her four-legged friends who were always there to listen. In her times of trouble, she knew that her four-legged friends saw her smile of pain. When she expresses that she may be the forgotten one or the lucky one, she concludes that she is not God's stepchild.

The song's lyrics are about overcoming insecurities and learning to love oneself after experiencing pain and loneliness. It depicts how one can find companionship and solace in the most unexpected places. The song may have a deeper meaning beyond loneliness and pain. It could be interpreted as a message to those who have been marginalized or forgotten by society. It could be a call to embrace one's uniqueness and celebrate it rather than seeing it as a weakness.

Line by Line Meaning

Gotta story for you
I have a story to tell

'Bout a little friend
About a young acquaintance

Never felt good enough
Had low self-esteem

Had a heart to mend
Had emotional wounds that needed healing

Never felt pretty
Had body image issues

Learned to just pretend
Put on a façade to hide her true feelings

Wished someone had listened
Desired someone to hear her pain

To her cries of pain
To her emotional distress

Maybe I'm the lucky one
Perhaps I'm fortunate in some way

Maybe the forgotten one
Maybe I've been overlooked

Maybe, but I know
Perhaps, but I am certain